Mister N-ice Guy; Good Skate Scott Hangs Them Up

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"Scott Hamilton's Farewell to Stars On Ice"

Tonight at 8 p.m. on WCBS/Ch. 2

if you love ice shows

I'VE always worried about ice skaters.

You see them at the Olympics and hear their stories from commentators, like Scott Hamilton. Every single one of them had to get up at 4 a.m. every day to have his mother drive him four hours to the skating rink and then back in time for school.

Their stories are always much worse even than your grandfather's stories about walking 10 miles in the snow every morning.

But, at least for skaters, there is often the big payoff - The Olympics! Great.

But it's what happens post-Olympics that worries me.

I mean, let's be honest. After Olympic glory, chances are good, after all those childhood years wasted, you'll end up earning your living dressed up as a freaking ice skate-wearing cartoon character!

Really, if 4 a.m. were the necessary career move, wouldn't you expect better than to end up freezing your tail off while wearing one? Or worse, ice dancing in a Cinderella outfit?

Scott Hamilton didn't succumb. Or at least as far as I know, seeing how I haven't exactly followed his career path with keen interest or anything.

Hamilton, it appears, tried to keep it classy, and for the past 15 years he's been starring in an ice show, "Stars On Ice," which features some very lovely skating by the top Olympic stars. Stars like Tara Lipinski, Kristi Yamaguchi, Ilia Kulik, Ekaterina Gordeeva and four-time world champ, Kurt Browning, not only get to do beautiful routines, but have been saved from a life of humiliation spent skating in giant head gear.

But Hamilton, who is no kid, has bid farewell to his last Zamboni - and tonight's show is his final performance. If you like skating shows, you'll love this one because it's emotional.

After all, the one thing that skating shows lack - and Olympics finals have - is emotion. For some reason, you don't sit on the edge of the couch worried about whether Kristi Yamaguchi is going to fall while attempting a triple Solkow in an ice show.

Since there won't be another ice show for Hamilton, there is emotion to spare here. Some of the routines, particularly the one by Tara Lipinski (with great music), is especially gorgeous. And Kristi Yamaguchi? She looks so beautiful you think she is a fairy princess without having to don the dumb outfit.

Although the finished show includes cutaways of Hamilton and the other skaters reflecting upon his career, their relationships and all the other gooey stuff, it wasn't in the unedited version CBS sent me, so I don't know if it's good, over-the-top, really annoying, or a distraction.

What I do know, is that what I saw was fun, and for sure my mother will go crazy for it.

Would it count as a stocking stuffer if I wrap it up and give it to her?

Nah. She'll know I got it for free.